I have a 18 month old GE GFI breaker installed in a new panel that has been tripping for the last week even when nothing except a garage door opener is plugged in to any of the outlets on the circuit.
This is in my shop. Identical breaker serves another circuit, both circuits have wall outlets and 1 exterior outlet with a weather proof cover.
One breaker is tripping one is not .
Any way to determine the problem?
I have thought of switching breakers and seeing what happens but am looking for advice on other possible fault finding methods.
John
They can’t get your Goat if you don’t tell them where it is hidden.
Replies
John - switching the breaker out with the other GFI should tell you if the breaker's the problem. If not, I'd be looking at the wiring for each outlet on the circuit, especially the outdoor one. You say:
I have a 18 month old GE GFI breaker installed in a new panel
Did you switch out an old panel for a new panel and these are circuits that have been up and running previously with no problems?
charlie -- "Count your blessings....it could always be worse!"
New panel, new circuits. Everything is new about the system. There are old circuits in the new panel , but I can't see them as any issue here. I built the shop/garage as an addition about 18 months ago. Breaker will flip for seemingly no reason. No one home, nothing running, and I will return and find it flipped, or go to bed at night, and will find flipped in the morning. The only change has been the weather, been wet , but I didn't have the problem last winter.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
loose wire under a terminal...
a bug or rodedent set up shop in one of the recpticale boxes...
breaker is failing...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
'Bug".. you might have something there, I had a "night light plugged into that circuit that was attracting bugs. Pulled it out with no change to the problem but I might have a body in the outlet.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
The only change has been the weather, been wet , but I didn't have the problem last winter.
Ok, so it sounds like this is a circuit and a breaker that you've had since you put it in 18 mos ago.
I think you might have answered your own question with the above. To find out for sure, temporarily disconnect the outdoor outlet from the circuit. If your problem is solved, then that's the culprit, and you'll need to see what you can do to prevent moisture from getting in to the outdoor receptacle.
If that doesn't answer it, then Mike Hennessy's troubleshooting advice is exactly the same thing I've done before in similar situations. I would add that I'd also look for any wire insulation scrapes after you've pulled the receptacle out from the wall.
charlie -- "Count your blessings....it could always be worse!"
Edited 12/24/2007 3:57 pm by charlie4444
Edited 12/24/2007 4:03 pm by charlie4444
Edited 12/24/2007 4:03 pm by charlie4444
.."Breaker will flip for seemingly no reason. No one home, nothing running, and I will return and find it flipped, or go to bed at night, and will find flipped in the morning."I didn't know Microsoft was making GFIs :).
.
.
., wer ist jetzt der Idiot ?
moisture or heavy condensation is getting into a recep box....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
This happens on occasion, and is usually a pain to cure. Can be anything from dampness in a box, to wire clamps screwed down too tight. First thing I do (after trying a replacement GFI) is open up all the boxes and pull the device out of, and away from, each box so the EGC can't touch anything on the device that it isn't supposed to. (The bare wire touching a white wire screw on an outlet can cause this.) If that cures it, very carefully repack the boxes. Done.
If that doesn't work, start in the middle of the run and disconnect everything downstream. If this cures it, you've cut the boxes to check in half. If not, halve the circuit again and repeat.
This is a great project for Christmas morning. Well, at least it's better'n diggin' up a busted sewer line in the basement. DAMHIKT. ;-)
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
Put a meter on the legs and see if you get any readings? Something to ground or neutral is energizing? Water? New florescent fixtures? Cordless battery charger cycling?
I had this problem once. The outdoor box wasnt sealed properly and had actually filled with water. The GFI was woking great it was the receptacle that gave us the problem.
Check the outdoor boxes. If wet dry them out and properly seal.
OK. I have things to check. The outdoor outlet is under a 4' overhang and pretty much high enough off the ground level that it would escape any wayward splash.I will be checking it though. The same style outlet on the other GFI circuit is totally exposed to the weather and I have no problem with that circuit.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
If there is an air leak into the outside box following the wires from inside the house, that would be a source of moisture into the box. It's not just rain that can cause a problem. That box would be the first thing I would look at.
The same style outlet on the other GFI circuit is totally exposed to the weather and I have no problem with that circuit.
Doesn't matter.
This problem started when the weather chaged. Check the outdoor outlet first.
If you open the box and water has been getting in, you will be able to tell.
Well, step #1 is to determine if you have a problem ... that is - if the GFI doing it's job?
Does it trip with nothing plugged in? That's the first question to answer. Many 'nuisance' trips happen when the breaker is doing what it's supposed to do. Refrigerators, as they get old, are notorious for leaking some current, but only when the compressor is running, as the compressor ages.
Assuming that the breaker does trip when nothing is plugged in, or trips when you actually are in the process of plugging / unplugging something .... then the problem is most likely in the wiring. Item #1 to look for are device screws that are not tightened down, and are too close to the metal box.
Likely suspect #2 is the tangle of wires inside the boxes. It's all too easy for that bare ground wire to almost contact either the neutral or hot screws on the device.
It's pretty rare for the breaker to be the cause of the problem ... but, since you have another one handy, it's pretty easy to eliminate that possibility.
Finally, after everything else has been eliminated, you can ask a qualified electrician to 'megger' the wires, to see if any of them are faulty.
Disconnect the wire from the breaker. See if it holds. If it does, connect it up and run the garage door. Sometimes motors will trip them.
all that said, EVERYTIME iv'e had this problem, it's been the gfi breaker. Jim
so what did you find???
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Didn't touch it today. Enjoying the day.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
okay....
carry on....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
My GFI breaker to the pool pump kept tripping intermittently for months. I took everything apart, check all grounds, feeds, found nothing wrong. I was in my basement office where the panel is located when I heard my son coming down the basement steps and when he turned on the basement can lights I heard the breaker trip. Puzzled but happy I could now repeat the problem. After checking that circuit out I found one of six florescent down lights was causing the problem. I replaced all the florescent lights with incandescents and have never had another trip.
it the pool ain't stocked.... ya shoulda filled it in...
wait that wasn't the problem...
go ahead and stock it anyways... shep will be along shortly...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Kids headed out yesterday so I finally got around to actually searching for the problem today. Breaker is flipping off , weak/faulty breaker . After checking the outside receptacle and the most used inside ones I switched the two breakers over in the panel. Problem moved with the breaker, now the circuit on the other side of the shop has the problem. Be buying a new one tomorrow.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
Imerc, So I replaced the breaker today (replaced with a Seimens), new one works fine so far. The old one shows a distinctive burn mark and crack in the breaker case just where the hot side "Load" screw is. The burn and crack are just above the screw and toward the red "Test " button. Pic of breaker style:
http://www.foxelectricsupply.com/content/products/ProductDetail.asp?qsCatID=24840&qsProductNo=GEDTHQL1120GFI remember now that this breaker started acting up right after a nasty storm we had here. Is it possible that a "power surge" fried this breaker? Bad breaker that burned as result of internal faults? Is possible I have other problems that led to the burn and case cracking? Circuit that this one was on is doing fine with the other GE breaker installed . 48 hrs. no problems. We did have short power outages during the storm.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
Is it possible that a "power surge" fried this breaker?
yup...
Bad breaker that burned as result of internal faults?
yup...
Is possible I have other problems that led to the burn and case cracking?
yup...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Gee Thanks ! LOL I can do with one more. I ran a 1 1/2 HP compressor on the faulty circuit for a day . Could constant starting surges weaken the breaker? YUP. ;-)
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
how about another...
by not perodicly testing/exercising them???
yup...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Man, You telling me they are dogs to start with ? Gotta take them for a daily walk or something or they #### out?
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
monthly..
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
no need to water though...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!